diy
Do it Yourself; Tips and ideas for DIY projects to create your next family heirloom, personalize your photo album and more.
The Birthday Dress
“See you when the germs have gone” shouted my daughter from the car window as we waved goodbye to her Grandparents. We were heading home after our last Sunday dinner before the first lockdown and at three years old she had little understanding of what it was actually going to entail. Really, almost all of us were naïve as to how long this was actually going to last.
By Natasha Foley5 years ago in Families
Veronica's Eyes
I could not tell you the color of my Veronica’s eyes; they are green, they are grey, they are brown, they are blue… they change with the time of day and how happy or sleepy she is. They sparkle with laughter and grow stormy with agitation; they are greenest when she is fighting to stay awake. But on that day last November, they were grey-blue and pensive under her furrowed brow.
By Carolyn M Palm5 years ago in Families
Art In An Emergency
We called her Mutti Oma. German words that mean "Mom Grandma." As a war refugee, a widow twice over, and a woman who buried her infant son - my great-grandmother knew how to survive hard things. She persevered all the way to her 99th birthday, when she passed away in a nursing home bed.
By Carmyn Effa5 years ago in Families
A Boxful of Traditions
It isn’t much to look at. The large, plywood box has a hinged lid and rope handles on the sides. It creaks loudly when it’s opened. My dad made the box when I was a little girl, intending it should hold toys. When my sister and I had outgrown “toyboxes” the box then became a place to hold our camping stuff. That’s when the rope handles were added, so it could be easily carried. Later, my Mom used the box to hold fabric.
By Caryn Turrel5 years ago in Families
The Element of Craft
In my view anyone can be creative, it's only when you include the element of craft that creativity becomes elevated to art And whereas creativity merely requires materials such as glue, paper and paint, performing a craft requires tools such scissors, knives and rulers.
By Aaron Needle5 years ago in Families
Scissor Thief
The scissors disappeared soon after I’d bought them, I just hadn’t realized they were gone…until it was too late. I was deep in the reeds with raising small children and with little money to spare and the holidays approaching, I scoured my craft magazines and found a project I knew would be treasured. I picked up the supplies and began working late into the evening as I cut various colours of felt into intricate pieces…soon realizing I needed a much better pair of scissors than the ones that had been tossed around my cutlery drawer for years.
By Colleen O'Dea5 years ago in Families
Red Fiskars
When I was young, probably around 3 or 4 years old, I started watching my mom and dad do all sorts of creative projects. At the time, my dad was taking an entomology class in college and it fascinated me when he would pin beautiful insects to boards for assignments. Later, he would frame them as gifts for our family members. My mother refurbished old furniture and I was always I awe of how she could turn something she pulled from the trash, and turn it into a gorgeous piece of furniture that would sell for hundreds of dollars.
By Corrin Hayes5 years ago in Families
Quilting
"You will take the small pair of scissors and I will use the large ones," my mother instructed me as we sat at our large improvised quilting table. My father had laid a large piece of plywood across two sawhorse beams in the back yard so that mother could engage in one of her favorite leisure activities and as it was summer break I was also to be involuntarily employed in the production of the quilts.
By John Bowen5 years ago in Families
